In the End
by craftyjhawk
Summary: I never thought I would be the one to tell this story. It all started with a knock on the door… / Damon POV (future fic - mostly in canon through 5x15)
1. Prologue

I never thought I would be the one to tell this story. I'm not sure it's my story to tell. Sure, I was there, played my part in the whole thing. We all did. Now I wonder if we were doomed to fail from the start. I don't know. What I do know is that I'm the only one left standing. So, if anyone is going to tell the story, it's going to be me.

Maybe we got too comfortable. At some point, we stopped looking for the next danger, the next big bad around the corner. The Original siblings had left Mystic Falls for New Orleans. Silas was dead. Apart from the random vamp showing up in town to snack on a few of the citizens, life was calm. That should have been our first clue. Calm was never in the cards for us.

I'm still trying to figure out how everything could so wrong, so fast. One minute we're planning a birthday party and the next we're planning funerals. It's hard to believe we had gone so long between funerals, years in fact. We went from planning funerals to abandoning those plans. There just wasn't time. In the end, I was left to bury the ones that we lost, that I lost. I could have used Caroline's help organizing that, but we lost her early on. Thank god for compulsion, because I'm sure I couldn't have gotten it done on my own.

Hey, Ric, could you get some more comfortable trees around here. If I'm going to be sitting here all night telling you this story, it would be nice if this tree bark wasn't digging into my back. At least I have some bourbon here to numb the pain, right? Want a drink? I can pour it right here on your headstone. If I'm going to talk to this ugly hunk of concrete, I guess I can share my bourbon with it.

You know I shouldn't have been the one left here to watch the kids, right? That should have been your job, Ric, not mine. Instead, you're wherever you are, I'm here and it's my fault they're all dead. My fault.

It all started with a knock on the door…

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_A/N - Thanks for reading! This fic is mostly in canon up to Gone Girl (5x15). There are a few exceptions and I'll note them when the time comes. I have about half of this story written, so I'm planning on fairly regular updates. And now, here's chapter 1 ..._


	2. Chapter 1

It was a week before Elena's twenty-fifth birthday. Caroline and I had planned a huge party to celebrate the night before the actual day. It was also going to serve as our farewell to Mystic Falls. Our eternal youthfulness hadn't escaped notice, so it was time to move on.

In the weeks leading up to the party, Elena and I were busy packing what we wanted to take with us and prepping the house to be closed up for an extended time. We had been the only two in residence for a while. Stefan still used the boarding house as his home base, but he had spent much of the past five years traveling. He still hadn't met 'the one,' but Elena and I hoped that he would.

Jeremy had graduated from high school, a cause for great celebration. I'm still not sure that Elena didn't compel a passing grade or twenty for him. However it happened, he did it. Not only did he graduate, but he was accepted at Rhode Island School of Design. The kid and his talent flourished there. After graduation from RISD, he found his dream job, illustrating graphic novels. He and the writer he was working with became great friends and got an apartment together in New York City. He finally had the normal life he always wanted. I know how much you wanted that for him, Ric. I wish you had been around to see it.

Stefan and Jeremy were due in town a few days before the party, but Elena and I were trying to get as much done as we could before they arrived. They'd each have to go through their own stuff to see if there was anything they wanted to take, but we wanted to be free to spend as much time as possible with our brothers before we left for Europe.

Yep, Elena and I were headed to Europe. We planned to travel as much or as little as we wanted. If we found a place where we wanted to settle down for a while, we would. If we didn't, maybe we'd try looking on another continent. We had no concrete plans, had no need for them, as long as we were together.

That day, the day that the world tilted on in axis, I spent the morning in the library. Choosing which books to take was always difficult for me. I had too many favorites that I would read over and over again. Just when I thought I had narrowed the list to a manageable one, I would think of another two or three that just had to go with us. I'd have to start the process all over again. I heard Elena in our bedroom, on the phone with Caroline, and decided to grab _Gone with the Wind_ from the nightstand while I was thinking about it. It was one book that I always took with me. I didn't want to risk leaving it behind.

Elena acknowledged my entrance with a smile and a quick peck on my cheek. As she turned her attention back to her phone call, she rolled her eyes and shook her head in disgust. That was enough to catch my interest, so I unashamedly listened in.

"Elena, I promise I will be there a few days before the party, but I need to go to New Orleans first. I've delegated all important tasks to my assistants. I'm heading to the airport in ten minutes. I'll be in Mystic Falls in four days, five tops."

After the girls graduated from Whitmore, Caroline headed to New York City. Her high school dreams of broadcast journalism long forgotten, she opened her own party planning business. Her clients booked her services at least a year in advance. A Caroline Forbes party was the 'thing' among the New York City society and celebs. When she wasn't in New York or visiting us in Mystic Falls, she could be found in New Orleans. For reasons that still escape comprehension, Klaus had only to call and she would drop everything to see him. No one in our cobbled-together family approved of the time Caroline spent with Klaus, but we couldn't crush her happiness. She was always there for the rest of us. Hell, she had even come around on the subject of me and Elena. We owed it to her to support her choices, even if they were idiotic.

"Caroline, I know you will be here in time for the party. I just don't know why, this one time, you can't put your friends ahead of **him**. At this rate, you'll get here at the same time as Stefan and Jeremy. I want to spend some girl time with just you and Bonnie. I don't think it's going to happen now."

"Elena, I'm sorry. You know I am. Klaus needs me. He wouldn't tell me what's wrong, but I could tell he was really upset."

"Or maybe, Caroline, he's just using your tender heart to get exactly what he wants."

"Elena, I don't have time for this. I will see you in a few days. Tell Damon I said 'hi.'"

Elena looked at me, shocked. "She hung up on me. Caroline Forbes hung up on me!"

I tried not to laugh as I walked toward her. "Look, it's Caroline. It's not the first time. Won't be the last. On the bright side, now you can pay attention to me."

Just as I scooped her up in my arms, preparing to toss her onto the bed, I heard a knock on the front door. Before I could tell her to just ignore it, she squirmed out of my arms and dashed downstairs. I listened, wondering who had bothered knocking instead of walking right in, like all of our friends tend to do.

The scream that I heard from Elena still haunts my nightmares. I was down the stairs in a blur, ready to kill whomever had caused my girl to scream like that.

I stopped in the foyer to determine where the threat was coming from. There I saw sunlight streaming in the open front door, almost creating a halo effect around Elena, where she was kneeling on the hardwood floor. She looked so beautiful with that light all around her, Ric, so beautiful. My heart clenched with fear when I realized she was hugging herself, rocking back and forth, crying hysterically. On the floor, just in front of her, was an open box. I sped over to her, wrapped my arms around her, trying to get her to calm down enough to tell me what was wrong. She couldn't. I'm not sure she knew I was even there.

Man, you didn't see her when Jeremy died on the island. Well, maybe you did on the Other Side, but you weren't with us. This was so much worse. So much.

I looked over my shoulder in the box and immediately wished I hadn't. I thought I was going to puke. Don't remember the last time that happened. What I saw had me yanking my phone from my back pocket and dialing one number over and over again. Every time it went to voice mail. Another look in the box and I had to shut down my denial. I had to help Elena.

Last time I saw Elena like this, I told her to shut off her emotions. This time, I sat with her, wrapped around her as much as I could possibly be, begging her to keep them on, to stay with me. I barely got her back last time. I knew I would lose her for good if she shut them off now.

Eventually, she cried herself out and fell asleep in my arms. I carried her up to our room and tucked her into bed. Only when I knew that she hadn't woken up during the move did I focus on what needed to be done. Phone in my hand, I dialed Bonnie's number as I walked back down the stairs to take a closer look at the contents of the box. Elena would need Bonnie when she woke up. I needed to find out who was responsible and make them pay.

The call with Bonnie over, I couldn't delay what I knew I needed to do. Even though I had begged Elena not to flip her switch, I was so tempted to flip mine. I walked to where the box still sat on the foyer floor and picked it up. I hadn't made a mistake earlier. In the box was a human heart. Sitting on top of the heart was Jeremy's Gilbert ring.

* * *

_A/N - __Here is one of those exceptions to canon. Matt was never given the Gilbert ring to keep. Once Jeremy came back from the Other Side, the ring went back to him._

_Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Please feed LMM (Little Miss Muse) by leaving a review in the little box below. Thanks again! ~ craftyjhawk_


	3. Chapter 2

I went back upstairs to stay with Elena until Bonnie showed up, pacing while I waited. I knew Bonnie would be a wreck, even though it had been years since she and Jeremy had been a 'thing.' But, I needed her there because Elena would need her there. Elena slept fitfully, tossing and turning. A few times, she said Jeremy's name, crushing me each time.

I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Jeremy was gone. None of it made sense. Someone obviously was trying to send a message to me and Elena, but it got lost in translation. I couldn't think of anyone who would be coming after us. Like I said before, it had been so calm. As far as I knew, we hadn't pissed anyone off in years. The sound of the front door opening interrupted my internal monologue. After making sure that Elena was still sleeping, I headed downstairs at human speed, wanting to delay facing Bonnie for as long as possible. It had been less than an hour since I spoke to her, not nearly enough time for her to get her grief under control. Once again, I was grateful that Bonnie had returned to Mystic Falls after college to teach at the high school. She followed in your footsteps, Ric, and became a history teacher. The students adored Bonnie, but knew not to get on her bad side. She would give them one of 'those' looks, you know, the one she would give to me, without the accompanying pain, and they would be all over themselves trying to get back into her good graces.

When I reached the bottom step, I could see that Bonnie was barely holding it together. I just stepped toward her, holding my arms out. After a moment's hesitation, she threw herself at me and sobbed into my shirt. I did the only thing I could do – let her cry. Shocking, isn't it, Ric? Somewhere along the way, Bonnie and I had actually become friends. We could thank Elena for that. She always had a way of bringing people together, even if it was against their will, right? Look at you and me, man. Who would have thought we could ever be friends? God, I miss her. I miss them all.

Enough of that. I told Bonnie everything I knew, which was a big fat nothing. I asked her to go sit with Elena while I started making phone calls. Stefan and Caroline were at the top of the list. I dreaded both of those calls. Once again, I was wishing that I could flip the switch. It would have been so much easier that way.

Stefan answered on the first ring, almost like he was expecting bad news. Maybe he was just surprised to see my name on his caller ID. He must have heard it in my voice, because as soon as I said his name he started questioning me, asking first about Elena and then moving down the list of our family and friends. When he got to Jeremy, I just blurted it out, didn't even try to soften the blow. I just had to get it out. Stefan was so silent. I wondered if the call had dropped. After a minute or two, he finally gathered himself enough to speak, saying he would head home as soon as he could get a flight out of Atlanta. I have to admit to feeling a little relieved when I knew my brother would be there soon.

My call to Caroline went straight to voice mail. I growled in frustration, thinking she was ignoring calls because she was with Klaus. I calmed down enough to leave a message to call me, that it was urgent, that Elena needed her. If nothing else, I knew that would get her attention.

I had a mental list of calls to make, feelers to put out, to try to get a handle on what was going on. Before I lost myself in those calls, I went up to check on Elena, hoping that she was still sleeping. I stopped short at our bedroom door, crushed by the sight before me. Elena had woken up while I was on the phone. She and Bonnie sat on our bed, arms wrapped around each other, sobbing their hearts out. I'm surprised that Bonnie could breathe with the death grip my girl had on her. All I wanted to do was make it better. I couldn't bring Jeremy back, but I could sure as hell find the person who did this and do the same to them. With determination stiffening my spine, I slipped away without saying a word to the girls.

After more than one hundred fifty years as a vampire, I've made my fair share of contacts among the 'community.' You never know when you might need information, like now. So, I started at the top of the list with the oldest vamps I know. Each call was a dead end. No one had heard a thing about Elena or me being targeted, but they would ask around and get back to me. I ended the last call and restrained myself from throwing my phone through the closest wall, sliding it into my pocket instead.

For the first time in hours, I paid attention to my surroundings. It was fully dark out, probably less than twelve hours since the knock on the door, though it felt like days. I made a pass through the kitchen, warming up some blood in mugs for Elena and me before going to relive Bonnie. She had been on Elena duty for far too long and probably needed some time alone with her grief. She gave me a hug before she headed out, saying she would call Matt, Tyler and a few friends from college that she and Elena had kept in touch with. We agreed to hold off on calling Jeremy's roommate. The guy had no clue about Jeremy's supernatural history. How would we explain Jeremy's death to him? It was definitely a problem for another day.

Elena was curled up in a ball on the bed, eyes staring blankly into space. I gently moved her to a sitting position, forcing the mug into her hands, gently tipping it toward her mouth until she had finally emptied it. Taking the mug from her I set in on the nightstand before helping her slide under the covers of our bed. I drained my mug, stripped and slid into bed next to her before she could realize that I had even moved.

Neither of us spoke, as we lay there. She had wrapped herself around me as tight as she could, as if she was afraid of losing me, too. She was so cold, even under our down comforter she shivered. I know we aren't warm creatures, but she had never felt that cold to me. I rubbed my hands up and down her arms, her back, any part of her that I could reach. She had long since run out of tears, but kept sniffling, letting out shuddering breaths, as if she were trying to get herself back under control.

I held her, playing with a lock of her hair as she finally slept, secure in my arms. Twenty-four hours earlier we had been planning her birthday party. I thought of the gift I had planned for her. Hidden away in a drawer, under silk boxers that she would rather I not wear (that's right, my girl likes me to go commando), was a small, blue velvet box. I'm not a packrat like Stefan, but there are some things from my past that are important to me. The contents of that box being one of them. As I thought about the funeral we would have to plan for Jeremy, I wondered if there would ever be a right time to give it to her or if I had missed my chance.

Elena slept on and eventually I did, too. My last coherent thought before surrendering to slumber was to wonder why Stefan hadn't made it home yet.

* * *

_A/N - Exception to canon #2 - Bonnie never died and was never the anchor for the Other Side. With her grandmother's help, she was able to find another way to bring Jeremy back._

_Thanks for continuing to read this story. I haven't finished writing it, but at this time I think it will be somewhere around 12 chapters. _

_Please, please, please let me know what you thought by leaving a review in the little box below. Reviews feed the muse! ~ craftyjhawk_


	4. Chapter 3

I was just waking up when my phone started blaring the Wicked Witch of the West's theme. Years ago, I had set personalized ringers for our friends and family. That way I could decide whether or not to answer without checking the caller ID. Of course, the fact those ringers irritated a chosen few was just a bonus in my opinion. Anyway, Wicked Witch ringer equals Bonnie, so it was a call I had to take. Thankfully, she was just calling to check up on Elena. No new bad news to be delivered. After asking me to tell Elena that she would be over later, Bonnie hung up, leaving me to conduct my Elena assessment in peace.

I shouldn't have been surprised when I rolled over to look at her and found her gorgeous chocolate eyes wide open, focused on me. She looked calm, no sign of tears, just acceptance. After so many losses in her short life, Elena had learned to accept death as if it were a commonplace, everyday occurrence. I guess for a while there, it almost was. This time, however, this time I expected rage to follow the tears. So far, there seemed to be none. Maybe it was lurking under the surface, waiting to break through a crack in her composure. If that happened, we would deal with it just like everything else, together.

Again my phone started blaring, this time Blondie's _Call Me_. Knowing that I would have to break the news to Caroline, I left our bedroom. Elena didn't need to hear the details again, not yet anyway.

"Hey, Blondie, thanks for finally calling me back. Look, there's something I need to tell you."

"Damon!" she screeched. "Would you just shut up? Elijah is dead! Klaus won't tell me what happened, but it's bad here. He's so out of control. I almost wish I hadn't come."

"Listen, Caroline, that sucks about Elijah, but I need to tell you something. Jeremy is-"

I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at the screen. _Call ended_. What the hell? How could she just hang up on me like that? Apparently Klaus and Elijah news trumped Jeremy news these days. Making a note to have Bonnie call Caroline, I went back to our bedroom to check on Elena.

After a quick glance at our empty bed, I saw that she was just stepping into the shower. Opting not to join her, I made our bed before taking our mugs from the previous night down to the kitchen. As I washed and dried the mugs, I debated whether or not to tell Elena about Elijah. I worried that another loss might push her over the edge.

Bonnie arrived just as Elena made her way downstairs. Her eyes were still puffy, calling the half smile on her face a liar, showing the evidence of the many tears she had probably shed since leaving the day before. The girls just stood in the foyer and hugged each other before pulling apart and walking into the parlor.

"I called Matt," Bonnie started. "He'll be over soon. He sounded so devastated. He said he hadn't seen Jeremy in at least six months." She wiped her eyes, trying to hide the tears threatening to fall. "Tyler is on the west coast. He said he would be here in a few days, at most. He's going go to New Orleans first and get Caroline, even if he has to pull her out of Klaus's arms."

And there it was, my opening. Time to tell Elena what Caroline had called to tell me.

"So, here's the thing. Caroline called this morning. Elijah is dead. That's why Klaus wanted her to rush to his side."

The girls just sat there, dumbfounded. Elena shook her head in disbelief.

"What happened? Did Caroline say?" Elena's voice started to take on a frantic tone, so I grabbed her hands in mine, trying to calm her.

"Nope. She didn't, just said that Klaus wouldn't tell her what had happened. Then she hung up on me before I could tell her about Jeremy."

"She did what?" Bonnie was clearly outraged that Caroline again seemed to be putting Klaus ahead of the family. "I'm calling her right now. She needs to know about Jeremy and she needs to come home." Bonnie walked into the kitchen to make her call, leaving Elena and me alone.

"Damon, this feels really weird. First Jeremy, now Elijah. It's like someone is targeting all of us through our brothers." She paused for minute, a worried look crossing her face. "Where's Stefan, Damon? I thought he would be here by now. Did you call him?"

That's when I remembered my last thought from the night before – where's Stefan? I plucked my phone from my pocket, dialing Stefan's number as I started pacing in front of the fireplace.

"Caroline didn't answer," Bonnie said, walking back into the parlor. "I'll try her again later. Who's Damon calling?"

"Damon! Elena! Anyone here?" Matt yelled as he walked in the front door. After spotting Elena, Bonnie and me in the parlor, he joined us there. "Hey guys, this box was sitting on the doorstep."

That's when I realized there was something in his hands. Bonnie and Elena exchanged horrified looks, while I just stood there, numb, feeling a horrible sense of having been through this before.

Bonnie obviously hadn't given Matt any of the details surrounding Jeremy's death, because he didn't immediately pick up on the significance of the box or our reactions to it. Instead, he walked in and plunked it down on the coffee table like it was no big thing. Matt's eyes darted between the three of us, clearly confused.

"Guys, what's going on?" Matt asked. "I didn't know a box could scare two vampires and a witch."

Bonnie took pity on Elena and me, explaining to Matt exactly how we learned of Jeremy's death. When she finished, we all turned our attention to the box. Someone needed to open it, but as long as it remained closed, no one else was dead. Yes, Ric, that was a Schrödinger's cat reference. At that moment, it is was completely true for us. I already had a pretty good idea what we would find in the box. I think Elena did, too. Catching her eyes, I gave her a little nod before squaring my shoulders and ripping open the box. Just as I expected, dreaded, feared, inside the box was a heart. This time, the killer had taken his display a step further. The heart had been ripped open and sitting in one of the chambers was Stefan's daylight ring.

Somewhere through my haze of rage and grief, I heard a feral-sounding growl, not realizing that it came from me. I caught the look of fear in Bonnie's eyes as she backed away from me, not knowing what form my rage would take. I could hear Elena trying to talk to me, felt her hands on my arms, my back, my chest, but I shrugged off every touch. Starting with a lamp that I knocked off a table, I began to throw, smash, destroy anything in my path. By the time I collapsed in an exhausted heap on the floor, all of the furniture in the room had been reduced to kindling and shards. All except for the coffee table which held the box with my brother's heart and ring. Somehow I had managed to leave it intact. Bonnie and Matt were gone, wisely choosing to put some distance between themselves and the (hopefully) temporarily insane vampire.

My Elena was still there, though, sitting on the step that led up to the foyer, elbows on her knees, chin on her hands, tears streaming down her cheeks, waiting. Waiting for me to get it all out. Waiting for me to need her. Waiting for me to be ready to admit that I needed her. Without a word from me, she was across the room, wrapping her whole body around me, holding me together when I couldn't.

She knew it was coming. She could see it in my eyes. But, she let me do it anyway, proving once again that Elena Gilbert is the strongest person I have never known. Because while she was willing to feel every bit of grief and pain over losing her brother, I wasn't willing to do the same for my own. My eyes said everything my lips couldn't – _I'm sorry_,_ baby_. In that instant, I flipped my switch. Yeah, I could still feel the pain, but I could nudge it aside to embrace the rage, because that was the only way I would be able to get the revenge that I so desperately needed.

* * *

_A/N - Hang on, dear readers, the ride is only going to get bumpier from here. Please let me know what you thought about the chapter by leaving a review in the little box below. Thanks! ~ craftyjhawk_


	5. Chapter 4

Daybreak the following morning found me in a near manic state. We were no closer to finding out who had killed Jeremy and Stefan, yet all I wanted to do was find that bastard, rip his heart from his chest and feed it to him. I was ready to go at a moment's notice. I just needed that first clue.

During the night, Elena had fallen asleep in my arms while we were still huddled on the parlor floor. Once again, I carried her to our bedroom and tucked her in. I know, flipped switch, it shouldn't matter to me whether Elena slept on the floor or not. Flipped switch or not, I still loved Elena. I would always take care of Elena. I had spent the night working the phone, trying to turn up the tiniest of leads. Nothing. If there was anyone who knew what was going on, they weren't talking.

Matt and Bonnie took turns checking on us through the day and night. They must have set up a schedule because every two hours from the time I opened the box until daybreak, one of them walked through my front door. They never said a word, just gave me a nod before going to check on Elena, brought me a blood bag or a glass of bourbon, depending on my mood. Sometime after midnight, Matt walked to the table where the box with my brother's heart still sat. I made a move to stop him, but the look he gave me, tears in his eyes, stopped me in my tracks. He reverently removed Stefan's ring and placed it on the table. Without another glance in my direction, he picked up the box and walked out of the house.

With the light of the new day, I became more determined to get my revenge show on the road. Staying in Mystic Falls wasn't accomplishing anything, so I went to pack a bag and leave before Elena woke up. I should have known that would be an epic fail. I had no more stepped across the threshold of our bedroom when she sat up in the bed, a curious look on her face. After a heated debate, otherwise known as Damon and Elena screaming at the top of their lungs, she agreed to stay home if I agreed to be home in twenty-four hours, no matter what. I promised to call if I found anything that would lead us in the right direction. I promised I would come home with a clue.

What I didn't know was that the clue would find its way to Elena in the worst way possible.

Elena followed me out to the Camaro, putting on a brave face. I knew the last thing she wanted was for me to leave, but she knew I needed to do **something**. Being the wonderful woman she is, she let me go, even though I'm sure it was killing her.

Without a backward glance, I started my car and drove away from my life as I knew it. Heading for the highway, I had a decision to make – north toward New York or South toward Atlanta. I chose Atlanta, since that where Stefan was when I talked to him less than two days earlier. It had been longer since we talked to Jeremy, so there was no telling when he had met his end.

I made a few phone calls as I drove. The first one was to Matt. I needed him to stay at the house with Elena, no matter what she said. She might think I was willing to leave her alone, but nothing could be further from the truth. The second call was to hire a cleaning crew to undo all of the damage I had done the night before. No way was I going to leave all that mess for Elena to deal with. I spent the rest of the drive touching base with my contacts, again. I'm sure they were tired of me calling, but it sucks to be them. I wasn't letting up until I had something concrete to go on.

I was an hour outside of Atlanta when my phone buzzed. A quick glance showed a text from Elena.

_Come home. NOW. _

That certainly caught my attention. While I wondered why she didn't just call me, I pulled off I-85 at the next exit, pulling into a gas station to fill up the Camaro. I didn't have time to play text tag with my girlfriend, so I opted to call while I was waiting for the gas pump to shut off.

Elena answered after the first ring, but I didn't even give her a chance to say hello.

"Elena, I can't come home now. I'm only an hour from Atlanta. I need to retrace Stefan's movements from the time he left."

Before I could say anything else, another voice came through the speaker.

"Damon, it's Matt. Elena just can't talk right now. You need to come home. Now. Something has happened, but she won't let me tell you over the phone. Just get here as fast as you can."

"Matt, just tell me what happened. It can't be more important than finding my brother's killer."

"Damon, just get back here. She needs you."

I was torn between going on to Atlanta and returning to Mystic Falls, but I knew that whatever had happened must be bad if Elena wasn't able to speak to me herself.

"OK, Matt, I'll turn around. Tell Elena I'll be back as soon as possible. If I really push it I can be back in five or six hours."

If I hadn't already flipped my switch, I would have done it then. The guilt I felt for leaving her would have overwhelmed me, instead I was able to ignore it, shove it out of my way and keep moving. That's what I need to do, keep moving, because if I stopped, I might not start again.

Five and a half hours later, I pulled into my driveway, noticing a strange car parked there. Before I could even get the car door open, Elena was there opening it and pulling me out. She threw herself into my arms as she cried her heart out again. As much as I wanted to kill Stefan and Jeremy's murderer, I was starting to want to keep him alive long enough to torture him for putting my girl through this over and over again. Looking over Elena's head, I saw that Matt had followed Elena out. The grim look on his face, the shake of his head told me I wouldn't like what I was about to hear.

I managed to get Elena moving toward the front door, although I thought I might have to carry her instead. I heard Matt mumble the word 'library' as I walked through the door. Apparently, that was where we were gathering since I had rendered the parlor void of furniture. I led Elena in the room and was surprised when I saw Tyler sitting next to Bonnie on a couch, his arm around her as she cried. Looking around, I wondered where Caroline was since Tyler was supposed to be bringing her back.

"Where's Caro-"

I stopped. Sitting on the reading table was a small, intricately carved wooden box. I didn't even have to ask. I just knew and I couldn't make any of them say it. I sat Elena in a chair and slowly walked over to the table. With unsteady hands, I opened the box lid and looked in. A lock of long blonde hair, a silver bracelet and a daylight ring that I was very familiar with were the only contents. I was right. Caroline was dead.

Tyler chose that moment to grow a pair and speak up.

"Klaus killed Caroline. He sent me to deliver a message. He said to run. Run fast and run far. He's giving you a head start, but he won't stop until he finds and kills you."


	6. Chapter 5

"_Klaus killed Caroline. He sent me to deliver a message. He said to run. Run fast and run far. He's giving you a head start, but he won't stop until he finds and kills you."_

There was both too much and not enough information in those five sentences. I didn't know where to begin. Instead, I did what I always do, I acted out. Before Tyler had time to react, I had him pinned to the wall, a hand to his throat, squeezing ever so slightly, but ready to increase the pressure if I didn't get the answers I wanted.

"Say that again," I growled, "slowly and clearly, because I want to know exactly what in the hell we did to piss off Klaus."

Tyler hesitated, which was a huge mistake on his part, because I started applying more and more pressure to his throat. I realized I might have gotten a little carried away when I felt his windpipe crushing under my hand. A light tap on the shoulder got my attention. Without looking, I knew that Elena was standing behind me.

"Damon, it will probably be easier for Tyler to answer your questions if he isn't dead. Let him go. Now, Damon."

Sometimes I forgot how stubborn she could be, but she made it clear she wasn't giving an inch on this. Reluctantly, I released Tyler. I did, however, keep him pinned to the wall with my fiercest don't-cross-me look.

"Klaus blames all of you, but especially you, Damon, for Elijah's death. His new mission in life is to make you pay."

Once Tyler started talking, it was like the cork had been popped on a champagne bottle. Everything he saw and heard at the Original's compound in New Orleans came pouring out of him.

Klaus was manic when Tyler arrived, pacing, mumbling to himself, occasionally throwing whatever object he could get his hands on. It wasn't until Klaus saw him that he started putting together coherent sentences while he turned his wrath on Tyler. Elijah was dead, killed by a group of New Orleans witches, but it was the Salvatores' fault. Caroline was dead, too, because she had betrayed Klaus. She deserved what she got, even if it had hurt Klaus in the process.

Tyler said that every hybrid instinct in him wanted to rip Klaus's heart from his chest, but he knew that was a battle he couldn't win. Instead, he watched as Klaus almost lovingly picked up a small carved wooden box that he handed to Tyler with instructions to deliver it and a message to the gang in Mystic Falls. With that, his mission accomplished, Klaus had held it together long enough to get his point across, he went back to his mad ravings, ignoring everyone in sight.

Tyler said he knew he couldn't come back to Mystic Falls with so little information because I would kill him. Good to know he's learned something over the years. Anyway, he tracked down Rebekah, who was keeping her distance from Klaus, wanting to stay clear of the fallout.

Rebekah was all too happy to explain why Elijah's death was my fault. She never did like me and was more than willing to push all of the blame on me. Yeah, Ric, if I'm to blame, then so is she.

Remember that time she got her kicks torturing me? Dangling me from the ceiling by my hands. Hands that were being ripped apart by bear traps. Bleeding the vervain from my body. Yeah, that was a fun day. Anyway, Stefan, being the hero he was, showed up to buy my freedom with the white oak stakes that we made from the Wickery Bridge sign. After a little compulsion applied to yours truly by Klaus, Stefan agreed to turn over the stakes that he had 'neglected' to include the first time. With that, Rebekah released me, picked up the duffle of stakes and left. That was the last time we saw the stakes. We all assumed that Rebekah had destroyed them like she said she would. And she did. All but one that she kept just in case Big Brother Klaus got a little dagger happy, as he tends to do.

That was it. That's how this whole disaster became my fault. If Stefan hadn't turned over the stakes to save me, Rebekah wouldn't have gotten her hands on one. She wouldn't have still had it years later. The witches wouldn't have found out about it and stolen it from her. They would have found another way to deal with Elijah and Klaus instead of confronting Elijah while having one of their own under a cloaking spell. While the group of witches argued with Elijah, the cloaked witch calmly walked up behind him and shoved that white oak stake through his heart.

It was my fault. My fault that Elijah was killed. My fault that Elena lost Jeremy. My fault that only part of Stefan made it home. My fault that Klaus pulled Caroline's daylight ring from her finger while she stood in his courtyard at noon. He couldn't bear to rip out her heart out, because he said it was the most beautiful part of her. Instead of instantaneous death, he sentenced her to a slow, painful one where she knew exactly what was happening and who had done it to her. That was my fault, too, because she had called me.

It was all my fault and it was up to me to fix it while trying to keep everyone else safe.

You know, Rose was right, but, if you see her, don't tell her I said that. She told me once that the switch was an illusion, a myth we told ourselves when we didn't want to deal with those pesky human emotions. I thought I had flipped it, had those emotions secured behind a thick, rock wall that would only come down when I was ready for it. Wrong. Instead, I had them locked tight in a house of straw. All it took was one gust from the Big Bad Wolf, aka Tyler Lockwood, to bring the whole thing down. All the rage, grief and guilt was there, demanding to be dealt with.

I couldn't look at anyone, much less say anything. I turned away, walked out of the library. As I walked out the front door, I head Elena's voice, just a whisper that only a vamp would hear.

"You can't kill him."

* * *

_A/N - Thanks for continuing to read this story. I apologize for the short chapter, but it really was the best place to break it. Please, help keep LMM happy by leaving a review in the little box below. Thanks! ~ craftyjhawk_


	7. Chapter 6

I made it as far as the front step before my legs gave out. It was too much to deal with all at once. I could hear Stefan's voice in the back of my head telling Elena to pick one emotion and focus on that and that alone. Wouldn't you know I'd pick the same one she did – rage. I had a focal point for that rage and its name was Klaus. I focused on dealing with him, running through every possible scenario, always coming back to the same one – desiccation and a swim in the deep blue. It was too good for him, an ending that really wasn't, because even if we wanted to kill him, we couldn't. His entire sire line would drop dead, including Elena, Tyler and me.

Knowing what I know now, I wish I had gone ahead and staked him, to hell with the sire line. Klaus would be dead, so would I. That would be better than this, living without her. Had I known that everyone we cared about, that **she** would end up dead, I would have searched heaven and hell to find that special white oak stake, the one with your bring-me-back-to-life Gilbert ring fused to it. Instead, I dismissed that possibility and focused on my desiccation plan.

In the midst of my diabolical planning, Elena plopped herself down on the step beside me and said nothing. She always had a way of knowing what I needed and when. This was no exception. She just sat there, her head on my shoulder, breathing the same air as me, letting me know we were in this together. Little did she know that she would be nowhere near the action. I was planning on sending her far, far away from the danger I was knew I would be walking into.

She took my hand, lacing our fingers together, sighing, she broke the silence. "You know you can't kill him, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Turning to kiss the top of her head, I matched her sigh with one of my own. "You know that you aren't going to be part of this plan, right?"

It was a mistake, I knew it as soon as the words left my mouth. I had just poked the sleeping bear that was Elena the Martyr, who also doubled as Elena the Protector. Nope, no way she was going to take this sitting down.

3… 2… 1

She shot to her feet, hands on her hips, glaring down at me for everything she was worth. I knew the speech, had it memorized. Hell, I could have given it in her place if she ever needed to take a sick day. Before she could launch into her 'you can't put yourself into danger' tirade, I was on my feet, too. I silenced her the only way I knew how, kissing her breathless, until she was limp in my arms, at my mercy. The girl knew how to pick her battles. She let me have that victory, although I was sure the next skirmish was just around the corner.

Discussion over for the moment, I took her hand and led her back to the library. I had a revenge plot to orchestrate, as well as convincing my nearest and dearest to go on the run. There wasn't a soul in the room who would willingly sit this one out, but that's how it was going to be.

All eyes turned toward Elena and me when we walked into the room. I hadn't earned my title as the one who made the tough decisions by letting others be in charge. It was up to me to steer them in the direction I wanted them to go.

"Okay, guys, we all know we can't kill Klaus, not unless we want all of the vamps in his sire line to die, too. That leaves us with the tried and true method of getting rid of Originals - desiccation. While I'm out finding a witch, the four of you are going to leave town, get as far away from here as you can and hide from Klaus. Get your stuff packed tonight. We're all leaving first thing tomorrow."

I turned and walked right back out of the room. Decision made, proclamation issued, whatever you want to call it. I wasn't going to stay around while they tried to change my mind, convince me that **I** needed **them** to take down Klaus. No, what I needed was to not have to worry about their safety while I went on, what could be, a suicide mission.

By the time Elena followed me to our bedroom, I was throwing clothes into a travel bag, prepping to leave the following morning.

"Damon."

I could feel her hovering just inside the door, unsure of my mood, unsure of how to approach me.

"Damon, you can't go alone. Do you even know where you're going?" Worry radiated off her, at odds with the outward calm she had on display as she walked into the room.

"I told you, Elena. I'm going to find a witch." I kept packing, trying to seem more confident than I felt. I thought I could find a witch, but there was no guarantee.

"We have a witch. Bonnie. She's even done the desiccation spell before. Why can't she be our witch? Then, you don't have to go running off on your own."

Yes, I know, she made a good point. Here's the thing, though. I didn't want Elena to lose anyone else. **I** didn't want to lose anyone else. Although, I wouldn't have admitted that to anyone, no matter how true. I do have a bad boy image to maintain after all.

"Nope, not gonna use Bonnie. I want all of you as far away from Klaus as possible." I refused to budge on this.

"Yeah, that makes sense. Klaus would probably kill her before she could do the spell." She nodded, conceding the point to me.

"Exactly. I'm sure I can find a witch who hates Klaus as much as we do. Problem solved."

"You still haven't told me where you're going."

"I know." She had finally worked her way across the room and around to the real question on her mind. She wanted to know where she could find me when she ditched the others. I wasn't naïve enough to believe that she would do what I wanted her to do. I certainly wasn't going to make it easy for her.

"Damon, I should be going with you. Tyler can go with Matt and Bonnie. At the very least, I need to know where you are going to be."

I traveled the short distance between us in two steps, wrapping my arms around her.

"No, Elena, you don't need to know. What you need to do is help Tyler keep Matt and Bonnie safe. Two humans, two protectors. Sounds about right to me."

"Damon, I don't think I can do this. We should be together. I can't just watch you drive away and not know whether or not you will be coming back."

"I know, but tomorrow morning, I am loading you and our friends into Matt's SUV and I'll watch as you drive away. I'll be heading out as soon as you're gone." I kissed her forehead before pulling back enough to catch her gaze. "You won't see me drive away. You'll see me standing in our driveway, waving. And when you come home, I'll be standing in the same spot, waiting for you."

She nodded, finally accepting that I was not going to change my mind about this. Her safety would always be my first, last and only priority.

By that point, we were both exhausted. It had been another long day in a string of long days that had no end in sight. I convinced her that we needed to go to bed and get some sleep. She convinced me that sleep could wait a while. She had other plans for what could be our last night together.

* * *

I woke up early the next morning, before first light, to find Elena awake and staring at me.

"Close your eyes and stay here. I'll be right back."

Knowing she would try to argue, I was ready for her. As soon as she started to open her mouth, I shushed her with a finger lightly pressed to her lips.

"I mean it, Elena. Close your eyes. Don't move a muscle. I'll be right back."

As stealthily as possible, I moved across the room, slid the drawer open and tunneled my hand under the perfectly folded silk boxers until I made contact with the object I sought. Grabbing the box and closing the drawer in one fluid move, I was back in bed before Elena realized I was gone.

I propped myself up on one elbow, the hand with the box hidden under the sheets. For the first time in longer than I could remember, I was nervous.

"Look, I know it's still a few days until your birthday. We don't know where we'll be, probably on opposite sides of the country. I don't want you to have to wait for your present."

I moved my hand out from under the covers, trying but failing to hide the blue velvet box until the last moment. She gasped, guessing the contents. As I started to thumb the box open, she stopped me, wrapping her hand around mine.

"No, Damon. Don't do this now. Give it to me when you come home. Promise me you will come home." Her eyes were pleading with me. I said the only thing I could say.

"I will do everything within my power to come home to you. I promise."


	8. Chapter 7

Eight o'clock that morning found us all on the driveway. Tyler and Bonnie finished packing up Matt's SUV while Elena and I tried to convince Matt to take the Gilbert ring. No matter the argument we used, he simply refused. He had seen what happened to you, Ric, and didn't want that for himself. He said that after years of dealing with the supernatural, he had resigned himself to the possibility of dying at a young age.

Ric, I swear if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will stake your ass the next time I see you. I never told him, but Matt Donovan was one of the strongest people I've ever known. Even after all of his friends became witches and werewolves, hunters and vampires, he stuck around. He could have left Mystic Falls and started a new life away from the craziness that seemed to permeate this town. But, he never gave up on us, on them, on her. He would do anything for Elena, even risk his own life time and time again. I should have thanked him for that. If I had known what I know now, I would done more than just give him a slap on the back before I walked away to say goodbye to Tyler and Bonnie.

I wrapped Bonnie up in a hug, once again amazed at how far we had come. We had both changed in the eight years since I had returned to Mystic Falls. I was no longer the serial killer I had professed to be. Bonnie had become a lot less judgey when she realized everything wasn't just black or white. We were all swimming in a sea of gray. It was either accept it or drown in it. She chose to accept it, accept my place in Elena's life, accept my part in Elena's happiness. Not that she didn't call me out if she thought I was wrong. She did, a lot. But, I had lost the urge to kill her years ago and I couldn't remember the last time she hit me with a witchy migraine. Before I released her, she whispered that she would take care of Elena and made me promise to watch my back. I didn't say anything, just gave her a kiss on the top of her head and pulled away.

Tyler and I had never become close. Maybe it was the inherent distrust between werewolves and vampires. Maybe it was all of the times he had hurt Caroline. Maybe it was because he bit me all those years ago. The reason didn't matter. At that moment, the only thing that mattered was his commitment to protect Elena. He swore to me on him mother's grave that he would keep Elena safe. I muttered my thanks and shook his hand.

I turned to where she was standing, waiting for me. This was the goodbye I had been dreading and I didn't know how I would get through it. I stiffened my spine, steeled my resolve and walked to her. I knew this would be part two of her campaign to go with me instead of the others. One look at the tears gathering in her eyes and my resolve started to crumble. I wasn't sure that I was strong enough to tell her no, to send her away. I reached her just as her tears started to fall, as she began to beg, plead with me not to send her away. She said I needed her to watch my back, to keep me safe. That we hadn't been apart in years. That she would never forgive me if I didn't come home to her. Every tear that fell from her eyes, every word that fell from her lips broke my undead heart just a little more. With more courage than I knew I had, I pushed her away from me. I needed her to really see me, see that I wasn't going to give in.

"Elena, baby, you have to go. I can't take down Klaus if I'm worried about keeping you safe. I need to know you aren't in the line of fire. And you need to help Tyler keep Matt and Bonnie safe. Try to get Matt to wear the ring, at least until you get back home. Don't let Bonnie bad mouth me too much."

Yeah, I smirked at her. I had to lighten the mood somehow. I needed her to be okay before she drove off in that SUV. I needed us both to be okay before then.

It was time. I had to let her go. I pulled her in and kissed her like I might never see her again. That wasn't the plan, but our plans always seem to go to hell. I couldn't help but think it might be true.

Before she had time to react, I had hustled her into the SUV, buckled her in and slammed the door shut. With a tap on the hood, I sent them on their way. Just as I had promised, I stood and waved until they were no longer in sight.

Damned hindsight is always twenty/twenty, and right now, I just wish I was blind. I wish I could look back and not see all of the mistakes I made, the wrong decisions. I never should have sent her away. I should have kept her with me. I should have listened to her.

The five of us had been up early, gathered around the kitchen table talking strategy, if you could call it strategy. We agreed that I wouldn't know exactly where they were going and they wouldn't know where I was headed. We planned to check in with each other at least once a day, although realistically, Elena and I would be in touch more often than that. I thought it was safe to assume that Klaus would have someone following both of our cars as soon as we left Mystic Falls. As long as I was headed towards him, I thought his guys would leave me alone. I had to hope that I was the one he really wanted and wouldn't tell his minions to harm the others.

* * *

Checking the time, I decided I need to leave. I grabbed my bag and cooler and stopped to take a last look at the house before walking out, locking the door behind me.

I drove through the day, stopping in Montgomery, Alabama, to get some sleep before driving into New Orleans the next day. I talked to Elena, unable to sleep until I heard her voice. Once I was reassured that she was fine, I let my guard down and just enjoyed talking to her. We both faked it, pretended that there was no dark cloud hanging over our heads. We felt the limits, what we could or could not say, not wanting to give away locations. Small talk exhausted, words of love and longing exchanged, we said goodbye. Sooner than I would have thought possible, I was asleep.

* * *

I arrived in New Orleans around noon the following day. I checked with some of my contacts. After being passed from one vampire to another to another, I finally got the name of a witch, Cecile, who might be willing to help me with Klaus. When I called her, she gave me the name of a little café in the French Quarter to meet her at. It felt we would be right under Klaus's nose, but maybe hiding in plain sight was the right answer.

I arrived an hour early, checked the place out before grabbing a table in a back corner. I felt a little relief at the sound of all those human heartbeats. There seemed to be no vamps, wolves or hybrids in the place.

The television above the counter caught my attention. One of those twenty-four hour news channels was showing traffic cam footage out of Chicago. Normally, I wouldn't have paid attention to a story like that. It wouldn't have affected me. But there was something about it I couldn't put my finger on that grabbed me around the throat and wouldn't let ago.

The video was horrific, even to my less than delicate sensibilities. It showed a vehicle stopped at a railroad crossing. Behind it, another vehicle came into the picture and rammed the first vehicle. It didn't stop there, it kept pushing and pushing the first vehicle, a SUV, until it was on the tracks. Before the occupants ever had a chance to think about jumping out, a freight train struck the SUV, pushing it hundreds of yards down the tracks until finally coming to a stop.

It was then that I saw the caption at the bottom of the screen – _Two Dead in Train/Car Collision_. The picture changed, two smiling faces looked down at me, faces that I recognized. _Victims: Matt Donovan and Bonnie Bennett of Mystic Falls, Virginia_.


	9. Chapter 8

No one has ever accused me of inaction. Usually, I act first and regret later, or at least I did B.E., Before Elena. But, as soon as I saw Matt and Bonnie's faces on that TV screen, I froze. I have no idea how long I sat there, waiting for the news cycle to repeat, just to make sure I had really seen it. When the story did roll back around, I was grateful for my super-enhanced vamp hearing. The news anchor confirmed what I was too afraid to hope for. Matt and Bonnie were the only occupants of the car.

Of course, that only led to more questions, most importantly, where the hell was Elena? Those idiots had obviously split up after I told them over and over to stay together. Now, I was left wondering where my girl was while two of her best friends were lying on steel autopsy tables in a morgue in Chicago. I didn't know whether to hope that it was some kind of horrible accident or assume that somehow, someway this was Klaus's doing.

As for Lockwood, if he had gone off and left Elena alone to save his own ass, then he better start running now. There might only be two ways to kill a hybrid, but I was pretty damn good at ripping out hearts and chopping off heads. One way or another, he would be dead if he had abandoned her.

By the time I unlocked my phone to call Elena, I had moved from the despair of wondering if she were dead to anger at her obvious and unrelenting disregard for her safety. I waited for her to answer, counting the rings, wondering if she had the guts to ignore my call.

"Damon! Hi! Everything OK?"

"Elena, where are you?" I spoke slowly, enunciating each word in an effort to keep my anger under control.

"We're driving down a highway in a state that I can't name. Remember, you didn't want to know exactly where we were."

"**We** who, Elena?"

I apparently caught her off guard with that one, because she hesitated a few seconds too long before answering.

"Uh, me, Tyler, Matt and Bonnie."

"You're lying!" Several of the patrons in the café turned to look at me, my voice raising to an unacceptable level while in public.

"There's no way you could know that, unless… Did Matt tattle? He promised he wouldn't call you."

That's when I realized she didn't know. The girl who had lost almost everyone she had ever cared about in her life – her parents, both biological and adoptive, her aunt, her pseudo-guardian, her brother, my brother, her best friend – had just lost two more friends and she didn't even know it. Once again, I would have to tell her. This time I wouldn't be there to comfort her, to hold her in my arms while she cried, to whisper in her ear that everything would be okay, that she would survive this just like everything else.

"Is Tyler with you?"

She sighed, giving up on her attempt at deception. "Yes, he is. We left Matt and Bonnie in Indianapolis. We're driving to New Orleans now. We want to help you."

"Later we will discuss how you know where I am, but for now, I want you off the road. Right. Now. You stop at the first hotel, motel, bed and breakfast or barn you see and stay there until you hear from me."

I looked up and saw a woman walking toward me. No one had approached me for the hour I had sat at that table in the back of the café. I had to assume that the witch, Cecile, was finally making her appearance.

"Elena, I can't talk right now. My witch is here. I will call you as soon as I'm done with her. This discussion is not over. Understand?" I paused, waiting for any type of acknowledgement, but she remained silent. "Elena, off the road, locked in a hotel room until you hear from me. Okay?"

More silence. Damn, she could be so stubborn.

"Elena," I said, drawing out each syllable. Normally she would respond with an equally drawn out version of my name. This time she just answered with a very quiet "yes."

"And, Elena, don't turn on the TV. I'll explain when I call."

I ended the call, almost relieved that I could put off telling her about her friends for a little while longer.

By the time the witch had reached my table, I had turned on my famous Salvatore charm, which was a complete waste of time. I had forgotten how little most witches seemed to be affected by my awesomeness. She just wanted to get down to business, which, actually was just fine with me. Her coven was more than willing to desiccate Klaus. The power of the twelve witches should be enough to do it. She had even found a volunteer for the 'balance' portion of the spell – a human willing to have her heart stopped, hopefully only temporarily.

All of the major pieces were in place after a slight disagreement over who would be disposing of Klaus's body. I won that battle. I had already compelled the captain of a fishing boat to take me and a Klaus-laden coffin deep in to the Gulf. It wasn't ideal, but I really didn't want to risk driving across the country just to dump him in the Atlantic. The sooner I had him offloaded, the better for Elena and me. Even the witch agreed that I had more than enough motivation to see this through.

* * *

After my war council with the witch, I knew it was a bold choice for me to walk back to my hotel. There I was, in broad daylight, walking through the city of Klaus without a care in the world. At least, that's what it probably looked like to those passing by me on the street. Internally, however, I felt as if I had ALL the cares of the world and I didn't know how to deal with a single one of them.

I needed to call Elena. Yes, I was dreading it. Not only did I have to ream her about taking off with Tyler, I had to tell her about Matt and Bonnie. Knowing my girl the way I do, she would find some way to take the blame for their deaths. There was a part of me that was very tempted to hide it from her, but you know what? A vampire closing in on one hundred and eighty years on this earth can learn new tricks. She would never forgive me if, no **when**, she found out that I had lied to her about this. I gave myself a deadline. I would call her when I got back to my hotel.

Next up, informing Matt and Bonnie's families about their deaths. I knew it might be hard for the authorities to track them down. As far as I knew, Mama Donovan hadn't been seen since Matt gave her the boot years ago. As for Bonnie's mom, Abby, I wasn't even sure she deserved to be told. She did abandon Bonnie for fifteen years, returned only when Bonnie sought her out and bailed again after becoming a vamp. It was sad, even to me, that these two kids' real family was us, not the parents that had raised them.

As I walked, my thoughts had come full circle, back to Klaus's demise. It went against my every instinct to put so much trust in a group of witches, especially ones that I hadn't met. I had to hope they wanted to get rid of him just as much as I did. If not, if they had any connection or loyalty to Klaus, I was screwed and probably soon to be staked. It was a possibility I refused to consider. I had heard too many stories about the power struggle in New Orleans to believe there were any witches on his side. So, I shut down my fatalistic view and accepted that this was the only plan available.

I stopped when I realized I had passed by my hotel two blocks earlier. Turning back, I pulled my phone from my pocket to call Elena. Before I could even unlock it, it began to vibrate in my hand and play _Werewolf in London_. Great, Lockwood was calling. This should be interesting. Maybe I could take out most of my anger on him before I called Elena.

"What do you want, Lockwood?"

"Damon, I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry." He sounded frantic, out of breath.

I, of course, thought he was apologizing for splitting the group up. Elena had to have told him how angry I was.

"What now, Lockwood? Should I know what you're talking about?" I'll admit it, I wasn't above playing a little dumb just to see how nervous I could make him, how much he would grovel.

"I didn't have a choice, Damon. I don't know why I did it. I just had to. Maybe Klaus compelled me. I just couldn't stop myself."

All I could think was NO, NO, NO! There was only one thing Klaus could compel Tyler to do that would have him freaking out this much.

Through clenched teeth, I barked out at him. "Lockwood! What. Did. You. Do?"

"I bit Elena."


	10. Chapter 9

_Through clenched teeth, I barked out at him. "Lockwood! What. Did. You. Do?"_

"_I bit Elena."_

I stopped dead in my tracks, bumped and pushed by passersby on the crowded sidewalk. With one action, Lockwood had sentenced Elena to death, unless I could convince Klaus to give me the cure, his blood. Considering his current mission to eradicate us from the planet, that didn't seem likely.

"Where is she, Lockwood? Tell me you didn't leave her alone." I could just imagine how scared she was. Strike that, I knew exactly how scared she was. I was one of the few vampires who could say they had survived a werewolf bite, thanks to Klaus.

"I'm sorry, Damon. I had to. I'm driving to New Orleans, to Klaus. As soon as I bit her, I couldn't fight the urge to get in the car and drive. Elena is still at the motel we stopped at. I'll text you the address." Lockwood sounded like he regretted what he had done, but that wouldn't save him.

"You know I'm going to kill you, right?" It wasn't a threat or even a promise. It was just a statement of fact. The next time I saw Tyler Lockwood, I would pull his heart from his chest before he had the chance to say a word.

"I know." He ended the call without an argument, without another apology, without an explanation, just acceptance in his voice.

I immediately hit number one on my speed dial. I had to hear Elena's voice as much as she needed to hear mine. I knew what I would do next, provided Elena had enough time left. I counted the rings, waiting for her to answer.

"Please, baby, pick up. Elena!" She answered just before the call went to voice mail.

"Damon," she sounded scared, "Tyler -"

"I know, baby, I know. I just talked to him. How long has it been, do you have any idea?"

"I don't know, Damon, maybe an hour. Why? Why did he do it?"

"He said Klaus compelled him. It makes as much sense as anything else."

I realized that I was still standing still in the middle of the sidewalk. I didn't have time to waste. I started heading further into the French Quarter, a specific destination in mind.

"Elena, I promise I'm coming to you. Tyler just texted me the address of the motel. I will be coming to you very soon. I just need you to hang on, okay? Stay in that motel room. As soon as I get back to my car, I'll call you. I promise, I am coming. I love you, baby."

"I love you, too, Damon. Please hurry."

It almost killed me to end that call, but I had reached my destination. I was standing outside the Originals' compound. I just hoped that even if Klaus refused to help Elena that I would still be able to keep my promise to her. I pushed my way through the gate, letting it clang shut behind me.

"Klaus! Klaus! You sick bastard! I'm here! We need to talk. Get your ass down here. Now!" I growled out at top volume, determined to get his attention.

The self-proclaimed King of New Orleans held court from the rail of the second floor balcony overlooking the courtyard. He tipped his chin toward someone standing behind me and I found myself surrounded, whether by vamps, werewolves or hybrids, I wasn't sure. Clearly he wanted to intimidate me, even though we both knew I was no threat to him.

"Damon! Good to see you, mate!"

I wanted to knock that smug look off of his face, but I held my tongue and my ground, waiting for his next verbal jab.

"How is the lovely Elena? I hear she's a bit under the weather."

So, maybe I wasn't holding it together as well as I thought I was because at the mention of Elena, I made a move to vamp-jump my way to that second floor balcony. I've got to hand it to Klaus's minions. They've got quick reflexes. I hadn't taken two steps before four of them had their hands on me, holding me back, protecting their sire, leader, king, whatever he was calling himself these days.

"What brings you to New Orleans, Damon? Surely, your place is at Elena's side."

I fought against the hands restraining me, a growl erupting from me when I couldn't free myself.

"I'm here to make a deal with you. You give me some of your blood to cure Elena, let me take it to her and I'll surrender myself to you."

He scoffed, obviously not believing my promise to return. I was prepared for that and offered up the only insurance I had.

"You can compel me to return here. I'm not on vervain, haven't been for a while."

I think I actually surprised him with that, Ric. Klaus has compelled me in the past. He knows I'm not a fan, that I would avoid it at any cost.

He laughed again, before going on to tell me that he had no interest in my surrender. He no longer sought to kill me. He had revised his plan for me. The better punishment, in his eyes, was to kill everyone I cared about and leave me alive to suffer their loss. He took great joy in pointing out that his plan was close to completion.

Then, in all of his magnanimous, pompous ass glory, he gave me a choice. I could stay and try to put an end to him, or I could leave and go to Elena. I'm not sure that he realized it wasn't a choice at all.

Without saying another word, I quit fighting against his lackeys, waiting for them to release me. As soon as their hands dropped away, I turned away from Klaus and walked toward the gated entrance of the courtyard. Klaus being, well, Klaus, couldn't resist one final dig as I walked away.

"And, Damon, when you see her, give Elena my love."

I kept walking, never looking back, until I cleared the gate. As soon as my feet hit the sidewalk, I turned on the vamp speed and blurred my way back to my car. I'm usually more cautious than that, but I was past caring. I just needed to get to Elena.

I hopped in my car and started it while fishing around in the glove compartment for my phone charger. Charger in the cigarette lighter, transmission in drive, phone on speaker, I called Elena. When she answered, I was so relieved. She still sounded like herself, she knew who I was. She hadn't had any hallucinations yet, the pain was bearable. That's my girl, always so brave, determined to be 'fine' even when she wasn't.

I drove as fast as I ever have, topping ninety, even a hundred, when possible. I kept her on the phone the whole time, prodding her to talk when the conversation began to lag.

I told her stories about my childhood that I had never shared with her, like the time I decided to run away when I was eight. I had managed to saddle my horse on my own and rode him into town, only to turn back toward home as the sun began to set. She told me about the time she tried to run away, but ended up back at home because she wasn't allowed to cross the street alone. It wasn't until she was standing in front of her house again that she realized she had just walked around the block. When she said she was tired, I sang a song my mother used to sing to me. I listened to her sleep as the miles rolled by. She whimpered in her sleep and I told her over and over again how much I loved her. When she woke up, we talked and talked, not wanting to miss out on a second spent together, even on the phone.

The drive, which should have taken me close to eight hours, took just under six. I could hear the relief in her voice when I told her I was there. I kept her on the phone as I walked to the door and knocked. She threw the door open, threw herself at me and sobbed against my chest.

"I'm here, baby, I'm here."

* * *

_A/N - This was a hard chapter to write as were the ones that follow. I hope it lived up to your expectations. I'd love to know what you think. Please leave a review in that little box below. We're in the homestretch, dear readers, only four chapters left. Thanks for staying with me on this wild ride! ~ craftyjhawk_


	11. Chapter 10

I picked Elena up and carried her back into the room, kicking the door closed behind me. She felt so fragile in my arms as she sobbed. I laid her down on the bed, climbed in next to her and pulled her as tightly to me as I could while she continued to cry. Each sob, each tear drop broke my heart just a little more. There were no words. We both knew how this story ended. There would be no miracle this time, short of Klaus knocking on the door and offering up a vial of his blood. So, I just held her, kissed her, rubbed circles on her back, soothed her, until at last, she fell asleep.

I watched her as she slept, memorizing every line on her face, every freckle, the shape of her lips, of her eyes, the way her eyelashes brushed her cheek, everything that was Elena. Eventually, her sleep became restless. Whether from pain or her dreams, I wasn't sure, but I was determined to do what I could to ease her suffering. I pushed my way into her dream and began to shape it into something more pleasant.

The first stop on the Elena Gilbert Happy Memory tour was Bree's bar in Atlanta, the destination of our first road trip. That trip was the first time I saw Elena for herself, not as a way to get back at Stefan, not as Katherine's double, but as the kind, caring, fun girl that was pure Elena. In all honesty, it's probably when I began to fall for her, even though she was still with Stefan at the time. I recreated that day for her and was rewarded with a huge smile when she realized what was going on. We played pool, did tequila shots and took one of our famous five minute time-outs. I lost track of how much time I kept her in that dream, only altering it when she became restless again.

When her dream world came into focus again, I had Elena standing in front of the Salvatore ancestral home in Florence, Italy. We had planned on making it the first stop of our European tour. Instead, I would have to show her this way. I took her hand and led her up the sweeping steps and through the massive mahogany door. I smiled at the wonder on her face as she looked all around, taking in the marble floors and columns and the huge staircases that started in the entryway and gracefully flowed up to the second floor.

I gave Elena the grand tour, laughing as she ran around exploring the massive villa. I imagined it was what an eight-year-old, princess-obsessed Elena would have been like. Of course, every princess deserves to have a ball in her honor. The last stop on our tour was the ballroom. Just before I threw open the double doors leading to it, I kissed her senseless. When she finally pulled back and opened her eyes, I had tinkered with the dream again, dressing her in a sapphire blue gown and me in my solid black Armani tux. After opening the doors, I held my hand out to her and led her to the center of the room. Seemingly out of nowhere, music filled the room and I waltzed her around the ballroom, reminding us both of the first time we danced. I kept the music going, kept us dancing for what seemed liked hours.

When I sensed her becoming restless again, I knew it was time to change things up again. Taking her hand, I spun her out and then back in again, dipping her low. Instead of pulling her back up, I lowered her more, until she found herself reclining in a lounge chair on a beach, looking out at the ocean. I stretched out in the chair next to hers and waiting for recognition to hit her.

"Damon! Are we where I think we are?" Her eyes lit up at the possibility.

"Well, if you think we are on 'our' island in the South Pacific, then, yep, that's exactly where we are."

After her college graduation, I had brought her to this island owned by the friend of a friend of a friend. We spent a month there, totally alone, supplies delivered to us twice a week by boat. Neither of us had wanted to go home at the end of the month. We had so many good memories of our time on the island, I just wanted to give her one more.

I know, I could have stopped controlling her dreams and let her wake up, had a real conversation with her. But, I knew what she would face, excruciating pain and hallucinations. Been there, done that. There was no way I was going to let her go through that if I could help it. Anything that I wanted to say to her could be said in her dreams.

The ocean breeze, the sun warming our bodies, the sound of the surf, it was all so relaxing and any other time, I would have happily drifted off to sleep, holding my girl's hand. However, this time, what I had to say was too important, time was too precious and fleeting. I took the cocktail she was sipping from her hand and set the glass in the sand next to my own.

"Come on," I said, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. "Let's take a walk."

I led her down to the water's edge, our hands entwined. It was a repeat of another happy memory for us, a reminder of the daily walks we had taken. We walked to our favorite spot, a small cove, surrounded by palm trees providing some shelter from the breeze. When I stopped walking, tugging her toward me, she gave me a look of confusion, not knowing what was about to happen. I took both of her hands in one of mine, placing them over my heart, which would have been pounding in my chest had I still been human.

"Elena, I love you. Only you. I want to spend the rest of my eternity with you, whether it is five hours, five years or five centuries."

I had a speech prepared, I really did. One look at her beautiful smile, her bright shining eyes, the lone tear slowly slipping down her cheek and that speech was forgotten.

In that dark hotel room, I pulled the blue velvet box from my jacket pocket. In her dream, that same box materialized in my hand. I thumbed it open, revealing the ring inside, a round blue topaz, surrounded by diamonds in a platinum setting.

"Elena, I can't imagine my life without you and I don't want to. Please don't make me live it alone. Please, baby, say you'll marry me. Spend every second you have left on this earth with me. Let me spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you."

For what might be the only time in her life, Elena Gilbert was speechless. The joy on her face, her arms thrown around my neck, the kiss that left **me** breathless were answer enough.

"Yes, yes, yes! Damon, I will marry you!" she said, finally finding her voice.

I slid the ring on her finger, in her dream and in that hotel room, kissing it on her finger as I did.

She was absolutely beaming as we walked back down the beach. She kept looking down at her finger, admiring her ring. I told her the story of the ring, how it had been my mother's. My father had picked the stone because it reminded him of my mother's eyes, eyes that were so much like mine.

She stopped on the beach, gazed out at the sunset, speaking without looking at me.

"Damon, I think it's time for us to go home."

* * *

_A/N - Thanks so much for sticking with me on this, dear readers. I know it's been a sad, depressing read. I promise, it's affected me just as much. Many tears were shed over this chapter and the next, but I think they were worth it. On a more positive note, this story is completely written, as of this afternoon. There will be four more chapters after this one. Can't wait to see what you think! Please, leave a review in that little box below. Thanks! ~ craftyjhawk_


	12. Chapter 11

"_Damon, I think it's time for us to go home."_

In a blink, I adjusted her dream again. We were standing at the front door of the boarding house. She looked relieved to be home and so tired. It was getting harder to control her pain as the werewolf venom coursed through her veins. Determined to give her peace right until the very end, I dove deeper into her mind, erasing every ounce of pain she felt.

With a knowing smirk, I opened the front door and motioned for her to enter before me.

"SURPRISE!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

I chuckled as she jumped, startled by the sudden appearance of all our friends. She turned back to look at me, shock on her face.

"Really, Damon, a surprise party? I thought we already had plans for my birthday."

I was saved from answering by Bonnie and Caroline, who had rushed forward to pull Elena into the parlor. I held back, leaning against the wall, watching as the girls made their way through the crowded room, stopping to talk to guests along the way.

I knew the instant that Caroline saw the ring on Elena's finger. The squeal that followed alerted everyone else in the room. Bonnie grabbed Elena's hand and must have deemed the ring worthy, because she shot a big smile in my direction. Across the room, Stefan caught my eye. He raised his glass to me and tipped his head, his way of giving us his blessing.

The few times Elena tried to pull me into the fun, I resisted. I was having fun as I watched her talk, laugh, drink and dance. This was the party she should have had, to celebrate her birthday, to say goodbye to her friends before we left for Europe. Instead, I was trying to make up for the goodbyes she didn't get to say, to all of those we had lost suddenly, now and in the past.

With every goodbye, I could feel her giving in just a little more. The end was coming, sooner than I wanted to admit. Before long, she caught my eye from across the room. She was ready for her final goodbye. As I walked across the room to her, our friends and family faded away, until it was just the two of us left. She smiled up at me when I reached her, brushing her thumbs across my cheeks, wiping away the tears that I didn't realize were falling. I had managed to hold myself together until that point, but faced with the reality of saying goodbye, I broke.

"Damon, I love you. I will always love you. Always only you. You are the best thing that has EVER happened to me. This isn't the eternity that I thought we would have together, but I have truly lived more in the time we have had together than I could have in a normal human life without you. Thank you for loving me."

Twining her fingers in my hair, she pulled me into another salty kiss, our tears mingling on our lips.

In that shabby motel room, tears rolled down my face, unchecked. While we kissed in her dream, I picked up the stake lying on the bed and drove it through her heart, ending her suffering and her life.

I don't know how long I sat there, cradling her against my chest as I cried. When I finally looked at my phone, I realized it had been two days since Lockwood called me. It was Elena's birthday. Without realizing it, I had given her a party on her birthday. Elena's eternity had ended at the age of twenty-five.

In the past forty-eight hours, my reality had completely shifted. My girl was lying dead in my arms. There was only one thing that mattered to me at that point – taking Elena home.

I ran out to my Camaro and pulled a blanket from the trunk. She had left it there after our last picnic at the Falls. Returning to her, I gently wrapped her in it and carried her out to the car. After laying her across the backseat, I got in and drove straight through to Mystic Falls, only stopping to fill the Camaro when necessary.

When I arrived in Mystic Falls, I drove straight to the boarding house. As soon as I settled Elena on our bed, I made a call to the town's funeral home. Honestly, with the death rate in this town, how is there only one funeral home? Maybe that's a business I should have invested in. Anyway, after some persuasion on my part, Mr. Franklin, the owner, agreed to deliver a casket to the boarding house.

With that piece of business taken care of, I turned my attention back to Elena. I knew exactly which dress I wanted to bury in, the one she had bought for the party, a strappy, short, red number that she had modeled for me when she brought it home. I dressed her, brushed her hair until it was silky smooth, put her mother's bracelet on her wrist before carrying her back downstairs.

Mr. Franklin had followed my instructions to the letter, a mahogany casket waited in the parlor. Putting her in that casket was the hardest thing I've done, right behind staking her. After I finished arranging her, she almost looked like she was sleeping. If it hadn't been for the gray pallor of her skin and the visible veins, I could have convinced myself of it. I kissed her for the last time before closing the lid, my grip tight as my hands shook, almost to the point of splintering the wood.

As much as I wanted to fall apart, I couldn't. I owed it to her to see her properly buried. Under different circumstances, I'm sure there would have been an uprising among her friends when they learned of my plans for Elena. I almost missed that, the whole gang against me, telling me that I couldn't possible know what was best for Elena. I imagined their arguments and dismissed them, just as if they were standing in front of me. I knew what I had to do.

I parked the Camaro in the garage, trading it for the SUV I bought a few years ago. As the garage door went down on the Camaro, I wondered if I would ever be able to drive it again. There were too many memories of us attached to that car, her scent was too strong in it, too much for me to overcome.

After I put her casket in the back of the SUV, I drove to the cemetery, apparently on autopilot, because I don't remember the drive at all. Night had fallen and the cemetery was deserted. I drove the SUV right up to the door of the crypt, not caring about all of the graves I was driving over, only careful to avoid headstones.

We may not have made it official, but Elena was a Salvatore in every way that mattered. I was sure her friends would have wanted her buried with the rest of the Gilberts, but that's a battle they would have lost. I laid her to rest in the Salvatore family crypt. She was **mine** and that's where she belonged.

I stayed in the crypt as long as I could, unwilling to leave her side. Hours later, I felt as if I was suffocating. My pain, my grief, my love, even the air was pressing down on me, constricting my lungs, until I had to get out of there. I stumbled out the door, sucking in gulps of air that I didn't really need, but I couldn't have stopped if I wanted to. It wasn't until I calmed down that I realized I had experienced a panic attack. Who knew? I would have thought that vampires were immune, but obviously not. The very thought of going on without her was more than I could bear.

With a last look at the crypt, I climbed into the SUV and drove home, determined to drink myself stupid or blind or better yet, unconscious. Two bottles of my favorite bourbon later, I didn't even flinch when my phone buzzed, even though it had been eerily silent for days. I couldn't muster enough energy to care one way or another as I looked at the text message from Klaus, a photo of a very beheaded Tyler Lockwood. Instead, I turn my phone off, hugged Elena's pillow to my chest and passed out in our bed.

* * *

_A/N - *passes out boxes of Kleenex* I know you were all warned, but it doesn't make it easier to read (or write). Thanks again for sticking with this story. Thanks to those who have left comments. I appreciate them all. Three chapters to go and maybe a little sunshine at the end of this very dark tunnel. See that little box? You know what to do. Thanks again ~ craftyjhawk_


	13. Chapter 12

Days passed, maybe a week, maybe more, with me lost in a booze and blood haze. As long as I could drown myself in my own vampire cocktail, I could deal with the pain. I was free to remember kisses in the rain, dances in front of the fireplace, afternoons cuddling on the couch, summer road trips to nowhere, every happy moment that Elena and I had ever shared. That worked until my supplies started to run low.

Facing an unwelcome return to reality, I dragged myself from my bed and dressed, skipping the shower and shave. Nothing mattered but finding my way back to oblivion. Nothing mattered. At. All. I stumbled around the piles of empties littering the floor, wondering who I could compel to arrange for weekly care package deliveries so I wouldn't have to leave the house again. I knew that outside the walls of the boarding house, the world had gone on as if nothing had changed. But, my world had begun to spin out of control the moment Jeremy's heart was delivered to us. And it crashed and burned the moment I drove a stake through Elena's. Leaving the house was just another reminder that I didn't need.

Boots on, keys in my pocket, on my way out the door, I checked my phone, purely out of habit, not because I expected to hear from anyone. There was no one left. After powering up my phone, the first thing I saw was the text from Klaus, the picture of Tyler's beheaded body. In my somewhat sober state, I got mad, angry, furious, even. Tyler was dead and I wasn't the one to deal his death blow. Klaus had. From there, my fury only multiplied. Klaus was living(ish) and Elena was (forever) dead.

Just as I started to throw my phone through the nearest wall, I saw the unread text icon. Switching between texts, it took a minute for the name to make the right connection in my bourbon-boggled brain. Cecile, my NOLA witch, had tried to check in with me days earlier.

_Hey, are we still doing this? All the pieces are in place. Just need your ass here. - Cecile_

How had I forgotten? We had big plans, desiccation and a deep sea adventure for Klaus. He had only let me walk away because I said I would drop my revenge plan against him. The hell with that! I had nothing to lose. I had already lost it all. But now, now I had a purpose. It was way past time to get my shit together and take care of Klaus. My fingers tapped out a quick reply to Cecile.

_Sorry for the delay. Family business to take care of. On my way now. Don't forget to get some additional vamp manpower. My army of one won't be able to take down The Hybrid King. - DS_

For the first time since Elena's death, I had a focus, a place to channel all of my energy, most importantly, a person on whom I could unleash all of my rage. Bypassing the liquor store, I stopped at the nearest blood bank to stock up. If I was going to do my part in taking Klaus down, I would have to be at my strongest. I planned to mainline AB negative all the way to New Orleans.

Upon my late night arrival in New Orleans, I met with Cecile and the vampires that she had recruited. Apparently, Klaus wasn't such a popular guy in town, and there had been plenty of volunteers for the job. The vamps she had chosen were all older ones, some older than me. Good to know that she wasn't relying on baby vamps to get this done. No way they would have been strong enough. After giving my stamp of approval, we got down to business, fine tuning our plan. If everything went according to plan, in less than twenty-four hours, Klaus would be nothing more than a memory.

After agreeing to a time and place to meet the following night, I left. I walked to my hotel, bypassing bar after bar, even though I wanted nothing more to drown myself in bottle after bottle of some top shelf bourbon. I tried not to think of my last trip to the Quarter, less than two weeks earlier and I was sure the bourbon would help with that. I couldn't give in, though. I needed to be on my best game when we faced Klaus. I owed it to Elena to hold myself together until then. I gave myself permission to fall apart once I had dumped his body in the Gulf, not one second before.

Back at my hotel, I stripped, showered and collapsed on the bed. I had hoped for a dreamless, restful sleep. Instead, visions of Elena danced in my head the whole time I slept. When I woke, I wasn't sure which was worse, not thinking of her at all or thinking only of her.

I arrived at the prearranged spot just after nightfall. The vamp volunteers were already there, boosting my confidence in them just a hair. They had already disposed of the hybrids guarding the compound, the blood on their hands the only evidence. We stood in the shadows, waiting.

Approaching footsteps caught my attention. When I looked up, Cecile spared me a glance as she passed by with her witch posse. Falling into step behind them, we walked down the block to the Mikaelson compound. The vamps and I stood just outside the gate while the witches strolled in as if they owned the place. I listened, waiting for Klaus's indignant explosion at the intrusion, for our cue, for anything other than the near silence that was coming from the courtyard.

We all know that I've never been a patient man. The not knowing what was happening got to me within a minute or two. I strode boldly into the courtyard, followed by our vamps-for-hire. The scene I found there was puzzling, to say the least.

Instead of finding Klaus reigning in all of his self-appointed glory, I found a mere shadow of the man. He was pacing the width of the courtyard, curled in on himself, occasionally stumbling on the cobblestones. His constant muttering was almost indecipherable. I could only make out one name – Caroline. I had thought that Elijah's death was his tipping point. I was wrong. It seemed that in his thousand year existence, he had finally committed the one atrocity that he regretted, that he couldn't forgive himself for – killing Caroline.

Klaus had been plunged into madness, completely unaware of anything going on around him. Movement on the edge of the courtyard caught my eye as our human volunteer walked out into the open, stopped dead center of the area, and laid down flat on her back. Klaus paid no attention as the witches took their positions, one over the woman on the ground, the others surrounding them, providing a wall of protection.

I warily approached Klaus, waiting for a switch to flip in his brain, for him to realize the danger standing right in front of him. The other vamps took their places behind Klaus, ready to restrain him on my order. I took a final look around, waiting for someone to stop what was about to happen. That's when I realized the entire compound seemed deserted. I assumed that Rebekah was lurking somewhere. Knowing her, Sexy Bex would have a moment of conscience and stop us right before we could finish the spell, no matter how much she feared for her life.

I nodded at the vamps and stepped in as they grabbed Klaus's arms, holding him still. With an angry growl, I buried my hand in his chest, making the necessary contact with his blood. The wind swirled around the courtyard as the witches chanted their spell. For a brief instant, I saw a look of fear in his eyes, quickly followed by resignation and acceptance. Maybe he felt he deserved it for what he had done to Caroline. I didn't give a damn. I only thought of Elena as Klaus began to turn gray, his veins prominent against his skin. I felt his heart slow until it was still. I waited another moment, to be sure it was really done and pulled my hand from his chest.

I stepped back, my chest heaving. I told myself to get it together. My job wasn't done. There was a fishing boat waiting to take Klaus on a midnight cruise and it was my job to get him there. Out of seemingly nowhere, a SUV backed into the courtyard. The hatch was thrown revealing a casket and the biggest tangle of chains I had ever seen. The vamps must have been briefed, because they began to wrap the chains around Klaus's body over and over again. It wasn't the first time I had seen his body like that, but it would be the last. I'd make sure of that.

Before I could process it all, Klaus was in the casket and loaded in the SUV. I took my place in the passenger seat when Cecile appointed herself my driver. She fully intended to see this to the end, including the voyage out to sea. Strangely enough, I was okay with that. Maybe I just needed a witness, someone to tell me it was really over.

Six hours and two bottle of bourbon later, the fishing boat pulled up to the dock. We had gone way out into the Gulf, as far as the captain was willing to go. With a heave up onto the side rail and a push overboard, Klaus was out of my life. I couldn't help but wish that it had happened years earlier. Maybe then Elena would still be by my side.

I hopped onto the dock, gave Cecile a nod, and began walking back to my hotel with one thought on a loop.

What next?


	14. Chapter 13

I slept another day away on the massive king size bed in my hotel room. This time it was a completely dreamless sleep. I had my answer, not thinking of Elena was so much worse. There was no pretending that I had just kissed her senseless. She was just gone. The finality sank into my chest, crushing my lungs with its weight.

I dragged myself from the bed, showered and dressed. I had one more mission. Just before I had drifted to sleep, I had my answer. What next? I needed to take everyone home.

I made one final trip to the compound, hoping that at least one of Klaus's minions was still hanging around. Rebekah was in my face before I cleared the gate. Fangs bared, she had me pinned to a wall before I could utter a word. Her death grip on my throat eased just enough for me to tell her I was no threat. Taking me at my word, she released me. She turned and walked away from me, deeper into the courtyard, leaving me to follow or not.

As I trailed behind her, I realized she had lost both of her brothers in a short period of time. After a thousand years together, she had to be feeling the loss intensely. I almost felt sorry for her. Almost. Let's not forget all of the horrible things Rebekah Mikaelson had done to us. I could appreciate her grief, but there was no way I could forgive and forget, any more than she could. I just hoped she would be willing to call a truce long enough to help me get the info I needed.

I needn't have worried. She stopped suddenly, turned on her heel to face me. She almost thanked me for putting Klaus down. Apparently, she had been living in fear for weeks. Klaus had blamed her just as much as he had blamed me for Elijah's death. He had promised to 'deal with her' as soon as he was done with me. The only reason she hadn't been daggered yet was because he had lost all touch with his sanity. She knew it was a matter of time before he regained it and came after her.

Once she was done venting and crying and thanking me, she seemed to remember that she was an Original vampire showing weakness in front of an (occasional) enemy. She locked down on her emotions and asked me what the hell I was doing there. After explaining that I just wanted to find out where the bodies were buried, she agreed to help. She phoned one of the minions, ordered him to come to the compound.

You know, sometimes it's good to have an Original on your side. I was prepared to torture the locations from Klaus's little hybrid slave. I didn't have to lift a finger. With the help of some Original compulsion, the guy spilled everything he knew. Unfortunately, he didn't know where Caroline was buried. Klaus had taken care of her himself, not allowing anyone else near her body. Once we were sure that he had told us everything he knew, Rebekah sent him on his way, compelling him to forget he had seen us.

In a rare moment of kindness, Rebekah promised to look for Caroline's body and return her to Mystic Falls, if at all possible. With that, I thanked her, said goodbye and left.

* * *

Over the next several days, I felt like I lived on airplanes. I think I compelled my way through most of the major airports in the eastern half of the county – O'Hare, Hartsfield-Jackson, JFK, Dulles, a few others that I lost track of.

My first stop was Chicago. If Matt and Bonnie's bodies weren't claimed soon, they would be cremated and stored in an evidence locker as John and Jane Doe number twenty bajillion. I couldn't let that happen. With the help of some forged paperwork and delicately applied compulsion, their bodies were released into my custody. From the morgue, it was a straight shot to O'Hare and on to Dulles. I buried Bonnie next to her Grams and Matt next to his sister, Vicki.

Then it was time for me to head out again, Atlanta this time. Stefan had been buried deep in a wooded section of Piedmont Park. Late one night, after the park was closed to the public, I found my brother's body. I had thought I was prepared to see him like that. I was so wrong. The gray tone to his skin, he gaping hole in his chest, even his hair in disarray was enough to bring me to tears. I hadn't yet mourned Stefan. I had raged, fought and gotten my revenge, but I hadn't let myself feel it. That night, sitting in Piedmont Park, I did. Just as dawn began to show its first rays of pink, I wrapped my brother's body in the blanket I had brought and carried him out of the park. More compulsion, another flight and I was back at Dulles, soon to be headed back to Mystic Falls.

After placing Stefan's casket in the Salvatore crypt, I was off again. I had brought my brother home. It was time to do the same for Elena's. Once again, I was heading for Dulles, this time to catch a flight to JFK. Apparently, Klaus hadn't told his minions to be creative when it came to burying his fallen foes. Jeremy was buried in Central Park, in a not-so-secluded area.

I found the spot where Jeremy was supposed to be buried and wondered how the hell I would get him without being seen by dozens of people. How had they buried him there without being caught? Just outside the zoo entrance, really? In the end, I compelled one of the landscapers to dig up Jeremy's body. I stood off to the side, watching his every move, prepared to compel anyone necessary to ensure that I could take Jeremy home. I hated putting Jeremy's body in a trash bin, but I couldn't exactly just walk through the park carrying a dead body.

Thankfully, when I headed to JFK for my return flight, I knew my mission was over. Everyone who could or should be returned home would be. As for Tyler Lockwood, yes he was a victim, but I couldn't make myself care about that. He could rot in whatever hole Klaus had dropped his body in.

After returning to Mystic Falls, I buried Jeremy in the Gilbert family plot, next to his parents. Technically, there wasn't supposed to be a plot there, but compulsion makes everything possible, right? Elena's little brother was surrounded by those who loved him, just as Elena would have wanted.

My work was done. Mixed in with the relief I felt was a feeling of loss. Not loss in the sense of grief. That feeling had been my constant companion. Loss in the sense that I had no idea what to do next. I had completed everything I had set out to do. It was only as I walked back to the boarding house that I realized that I had one more task to complete.


	15. Chapter 14

_A/N - So, this is it, the final chapter. Thanks for sticking with me to the end. I know this has been a sad story, but there is a little bit of sunshine at the end. _

_Just a word of warning, there is a short POV change ahead. It's marked, so it shouldn't trip you up. I think the switch back to Damon's POV is obvious, too._

* * *

So, that's it, Ric, the whole ugly, depressing story and only took all night and half a day to tell it. Although, I have a feeling that Elena has been sitting next to you this whole time, telling you her version. Hopefully, she filled in some gaps, like what the hell happened after they left Mystic Falls. I'm dying to hear that part of the story.

Anyway, after I buried Jeremy, I walked home. It gave me plenty of time to think, make some plans. Did you know that Stef and I have a great-niece? Well, a great-great-great-great-something-niece. She was Zach's daughter. A few years back, Stefan confessed that he had hidden her from me, for her own protection. I think he expected me to be angry about that. Had I found out earlier, I probably would have been. But, by the time he told me, Elena had changed me. I understood why he felt he needed to protect her. Well, Sarah, that's our niece, is about to become a very wealthy young woman. I've signed it all over to her, every asset to my name, it's all going to Sarah. I made sure she won't have to worry about the management aspect of her new found fortune. I just want her to enjoy what the family spent two centuries building. Someone should and it won't be me.

Ric, in what world is it right that I get to live and Elena Gilbert doesn't? I spent one hundred and forty-five years pining over a woman who never loved me. That's not living. That's being stuck in a holding pattern. It wasn't until I met Elena and gave up on Katherine that I really started living. She's gone now, buddy, and I can't go back to existing without her. That's what it would be, existing, not living. I can't do that again. I just can't.

* * *

Ric's POV

I watched with dread as my best friend pushed himself up off the ground. I had a pretty good idea what he was going to do. As much as I hated it, I understood. Anyone who had ever seen Damon and Elena together would understand. I just knew I couldn't let him do it alone.

So, I followed him as he wove through the cemetery, stopping along the way at some of the graves. His first stop was the Gilbert plot, pausing long enough to brush a nonexistent leaf from the top of Jenna's headstone and to pat the top of Jeremy's just like he used to do to Jeremy's shoulder. He had never come out and said it, but Jeremy was like a little brother to him. Losing Jeremy hurt Damon almost as much as losing Stefan had.

After a stop at Bonnie and Matt's graves, he found himself at Liz Forbes's grave. I stood behind him, my hand on his shoulder, as he apologized to his friend for not bringing Caroline home to her. He obviously regretted not finding Caroline's body, but he just didn't have it in him to search any longer. He kneeled down and pulled a few weeds from the ground as he talked, telling her that he had taken care of Klaus, that Caroline's death had been avenged. After a final goodbye to Liz, he pulled himself upright and turned away.

He walked, almost casually, toward the oldest section of the cemetery. I kept pace with him, walking to his left, mimicking our seats at the bar of the Grill. Somewhere along the way, Stefan joined us on Damon's right side. His jaw was clinched, obviously wishing his brother hadn't made this choice, offering the only support he could, his presence, even if unknown by Damon.

Coming out of a wooded area, we entered the clearing in front of the Salvatore crypt. The sun was beating down and Damon had a smile on his face as he looked up at it. Looking ahead, I saw what Damon couldn't, Elena sitting on the step of the crypt, a sad smile on her face. Jeremy sat with her, his arm around her shoulder, bracing her for what would come next.

Almost as if he expected Elena to be nearby, Damon spoke.

"I will always choose you, Elena."

Closing his eyes, Damon pulled his daylight ring off his finger and let it fall to the ground. Holding his arms out as if to say 'here I am', he let the sun take him.

* * *

The first thing I noticed was whispering, although I couldn't make out any words. I groaned inwardly. I was the one thing I didn't want to be. Alive. Someone must have found me just in time and shoved my ring back on my finger.

Then I felt it, the lightest of touches on my cheek. I pried my eyes open, only to be blinded by the sun, directly overhead. I could feel the hard, cool ground beneath me, but couldn't place exactly where I was. The last thing I remember was standing outside the Salvatore crypt.

"Damon."

My thoughts were so loud and the voice was so soft, I almost didn't hear it.

"Damon."

This time it was louder, stronger. The hand resting against my cheek moved, brushing some stray hair off my forehead.

I knew that touch, that voice.

"Elena?"

I pushed up to a sitting position and found myself eye to eye with the love of my life. Her eyes were shiny with tears, but her smile was radiant. I could see sadness over the choice I had made along with joy at our reunion. Without giving her a chance to lecture me about giving up, I pulled her into my arms, silencing her when our lips crashed together in a breathtaking kiss.

It was only when I heard laughter around us that I pulled away from her. Looking around, I saw we were surrounded by our family – Stefan, Jeremy, Ric, Caroline and Bonnie. I scrambled to my feet, pulling Elena up with me. I don't think I had ever been so happy to see my brother as when I pulled him into a bear hug. As soon as I let go of Stefan, Caroline barreled into my arms, soon to be followed by Ric. Even Bonnie and Jeremy seemed happy to see me.

When I turned back to Elena, she wrapped herself around me like she would never let me go again.

"So," she said, "are you ready?"

"Ready for what? I just got here."

She didn't immediately answer, just pointed off in the distance. Up ahead, it looked like the sun had sunk to the horizon, still shining brightly. That, however, was impossible because it was still directly overhead.

"Are you ready to find peace? We've been waiting for you."

I just looked at her, incredulously. I wasn't sure how I had earned the right to find peace, but I wasn't going to let it slip through my hands, especially not if it involved spending eternity with Elena Gilbert.

I wrapped her left hand in my right one, pulling it up to my lips for a kiss. Her engagement ring, my mother's ring, caught my eye, glinting in the sunlight. I was ready for eternity, ready for happiness, ready for peace.

"Let's go."

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_A/N2 - That's it! Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you thought about this little fic. Just leave a review in the box below. I'm hoping to have some inspiration for my next TVD fic soon. Thanks ~ craftyjhawk_


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